Lixiviating apparatus.



No. 793,133. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. A. HINZE.

LIXIVIATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17. 1905.

NITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

LIXIVIATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,133, dated June 27,1905.

Application filed March 17, 1905. Serial No. 250,664.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLF HINZE, a subject of the King of Prussia,German Emperor, and a resident of Rosita, Saxe-Altenburg, Germany, haveinvented new and use ful Improvements in Lixiviating and asln ingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to a continuous-action counter-current washing andlixiviating apparatus for sugar and .other substances.

In order to produce commercial white sugar or to refine raw sugar to ahigh degree, the usual practice is to separate the syrup, as far aspossible, from the raw green sugar or the washed raw sugar in acentrifugal ma chine and then to wash again with steam or water or witha purer or wholly pure liquor of sugar. In washing with steam or waterpart of the sugar is again dissolved, whereby the quantity of pure sugarobtained from the green sugar is reduced. If, on the other hand, a puresugar liquor or solution is used, a considerable quantity of sugar nmstbe dissolved to produce it, and this is rendered of but small valueowing to its absorbing or taking up the non-sugary matters. To over comethis drawback as far as possible, a preliminary washing has beenintroduced-that is to say, for the purification a more or less impuresolution or liquor of sugar is taken and subsequently a thoroughly pureone. For the preliminary treatment the run-oft syrup obtained incleansing with pure, clear, or fine liquor is employed. On this methodthere are three runnings, which renders the procedure troublesome anduncertain. The most advantageous plan is obviously to employ a singlerunning of little relative value. lVith this object in view variousprocesses have of late been introduced. In such processes severalvessels are combined to form a battery. They can be so ar ranged thatthe syrup of the preceding stage always passes to the sugar mass of thenext. Since the water-syrup penetrates the mass very slowly, it issucked through by vacuum. Certain other apparatus for washing andlixiviating have also been designed, by means of which it is proposed toeffect purification on the counter-current principle in a singleapparatus. In such apparatus the material is run in at one end and bymeans of a suitable conveying device (usually of the spiral or screwtype) is caused to travel through the apparatus while the washing liquorlows in a contrary direction. One of such apparatus consists of a pipecontaining a screw conveyor, the spirals of which are made of linesieves. The sugar mass to be purified is to be caused to flow throughthe washing liquor .in counter direction. This, however, would appear tobe impossible, since the washing liquor (concentrated sugar liquor)after passing through a sieve can, by reason of its viscosity, at mostmix with the mass and thereupon be carried back by the latter. If,however, in such apparatus the sugar were washed with water, (which asspecilic ally light liquid would seem to be the only one which can comeinto serious consideration,) so much sugar would be dissolved that theprocess would not be practically applicable for purifying sugar. Inanother prior apparatus, which consists of a single compartment, thesugar, in order that it may be mixed, is conveyed from one end to theother by means of spirally disposed agitators. The purpose of thisapparatus is to ellect uniform mixing, whereby, however, purification isrendered impossible.

The subject of my invention is a washing apparatus which is freefronithe defects above described and which ellects purification of the sugarin the simplest manner possible.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, in which the figure is avertical section of the apparatus.

The apparatus consists of a tank H, having a double wall to admit ofsteam-heating and. divided into compartments by partitions a b c. Thenumber of such partitions depends upon the special conditions of eachparticular case.

In the tank is mounted an agitating or stirrmg device consisting of ahorizontal shaft E, with radial arms E disposed inspiral manner. Thepurpose of this device is to cause intimate mingling of the massenteringat A with the wash liquor and to convey it from A to B. The mass israised above the partitions a b c by scoops G, removably secured to armsG, projecting from the shaft E. These scoops G are perforated, so thatthe Washing liquor may be left behind. This liquor must be a more orless concentrated sugar solution of a high degree of purity and mustflow in the direction of the arrows C D counter to the mass. In orderthat this flow may not take place merely at the surface, the wash liquorwith the aid of a suitable fall should pass through perforations orsieves F, located alternately at the top and bottomef the partitions a b0.

Should the Wash liquor, owing to its tak-' ing up the non-sugarymatters, become spec'ificall'y too heavy and too viscous,it *ca'n bediluted orthinned, for which purpose a pipe Wis provided.

It is obvious that this washing apparatus can likewise be employed forpurifying and} l-ixiviating any other substances the -condi; tions ofwhichare similar to those of sugar. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new i 1-. A counter'curren t Washing and liXiviating apparatus, comprising a tank,partitions dividing the same into compartments, said partitions beingperforated alternately the one above, the succeeding one below, a spiralconveyer mounted in the tank, and perforated scoops mounted radially onthe conveyer, :sitbstantially as described.

2. A counter-current Washing and liXiviating apparatus, comprising asteam-jacketed tank, partitions dividing the same into compartrnents,said partitions being perforated alternately the one above, thesucceeding one below, a horizontal shaft moun ted the tank and having sirally+disposed radial arms, and perforate scoops mounted radially onthe said :shaft, sabstantially as 'described.

in Witness whereef I have herenntesigned my name, this-3d day-of March,1995, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

HENRY HAsF-tm, WoLnEivraR HNUPT.

